Wake Forest University
2-2,0-0ACC
Arizona
4-0,0-0Pac-12
Deacons Fall to Arizona in Four-Set Battle
9/2/2022 7:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Audrey Douglas went for a new career-high on Friday.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Jumping back into match competition for the first time in six days, Wake Forest volleyball (2-2) faced the Arizona Wildcats (4-0) on Friday afternoon (Sept. 2) during day one of North Carolina's hosted invitational. After dropping the first two sets, the Demon Deacons made an exceptional bounce back in the third before ultimately falling short in four frames (20-25, 22-25, 25-17, 22-25).
Peyton Suess and Audrey Douglas led the way with 18 and 10 kills, respectively. It was a career-best for the latter, just four matches into her Wake Forest tenure.
Olivia Murphy had eight kills, while Olivia Franke and Emmy Ogogor chipped in seven apiece. Ogogor added three blocks to her personal line.
Again making the start at setter, Rian Baker paced all individuals with 38 assists. Her 13 digs gave the freshman a second double-double in as many matches. On the defensive side, Emma Farrell made a number of admirable plays all over the floor to finish with 23 digs.
The Deacs finished with the upper hand in kills (51-46) and digs (60-54) over the Wildcats.
The two teams entered Friday's matchup with the all-time series tied at just 3-3.
How it Happened
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Olivia Franke put Wake Forest on the board first with a pair of kills before Peyton Suess followed with one of her own.
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Wake Forest trailed 7-4 at the time in the first set.
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The Wildcats scored twice more before the first media timeout of the afternoon was called.
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Reaching double-figures in kills and totaling a few blocks, Arizona stretched its lead to 16-6 in the opening set, as Wake Forest called another timeout.
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Coming out of the break, the Demon Deacons quickly jumped on a 4-1 run, led by its line of hitters.
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Suess took the lead, igniting a personal spree that gave her five kills on 10 attacks throughout the first frame.
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Several errors by the Wildcats cut the lead down to 23-17.
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Arizona needed just two more ties, however, to take the first, 25-20.
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Early possessions were tight in set two, as Suess skied for another punch to have Wake Forest trailing 8-6.
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Two Arizona attacking errors, followed by a kill by Audrey Douglas, gave the Deacs a slight lead.
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The Wildcats responded with a 4-0 push to jump in front again, 12-9, in the second period.
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A few plays were traded on both ends next, as long rallies led to Wake Forest staying closely behind, 15-13.
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Megan Merril laced a service ace to continue cutting into the lead, 19-18.
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Arizona found its groove again late, tacking a small run before Douglas and Olivia Murphy threw down a kill each to make it a two-point game, 24-22, in set two.
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A final service error by Wake Forest gave Arizona the second set win, 25-22.
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Set three opened in a similar fashion to the second, with both teams stepping into back-and-forth play.
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A right-side, swinging kill from Franke led to the Deacs having three players with six or more kills at the time.
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Sparked by Douglas, Wake Forest continued to hold an answer in fighting to maintain a two-point lead through a handful of possessions.
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Rian Baker connected on a sneaky kill to put her team up 14-12.
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Baker soon delivered again, this time with an ace, as Wake Forest seized momentum to lead 20-16.
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Seizing control in a lasting 5-1 burst, the Deacons grabbed set three in a 25-17 decision.
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Confident playmaking by Wake Forest flowed right into set four, highlighted by a few notable hustle plays.
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A pair of powerful attacks by Murphy created a 13-10 advantage.
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Emmy Ogogor chipped into the Deacs' hitting rhythm with her seventh kill of the afternoon.
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Franke rose up the middle for a blow on a crafted assist from Rian Baker, tallying the lead at 19-16 in set four.
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Another Deacon point on the following possession led to a timeout.
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Soon tied at 20-20, Arizona first lined a service ace before Franke handed out one of her own.
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Arizona succeeded on its final three attempts.
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Wake Forest fell, 3-1.
Standout Stats
Audrey Douglas tallied a new career-high of 10 kills during the Friday afternoon contest. The junior transfer from Auburn University has now started in two of her first four matches as a Deac.
For the second consecutive outing, Rian Baker put up a double-double:
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46 assists and 10 digs - vs. Kennesaw State
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38 assists and 13 digs - vs. Arizona
Emma Farrell has reached double-figures in digs in all of Wake Forest's first four matches, along with leading the team in that category each time.
From the Head Honcho
"I am very proud of our effort today, especially shown in the final two sets," noted head coach Randi Smart. "We have several young players stepping up right now and giving us a chance each time we step on the floor. The important next step for us is adjusting our focus for tomorrow, having a big matchup against a talented South Carolina team."
Up Next
Wake Forest makes a quick turnaround in returning to its home floor for a Saturday evening (Sept. 3) matchup against South Carolina.
